Memorial Stadium (Lincoln) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tom Osborne Field at
Memorial Stadium

"The Sea of Red"
Memorial Stadium in 2007
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Address	600 Stadium Drive
Location	Lincoln, Nebraska
Owner	University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Operator	University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Capacity	90,000 (since 2013)
Record attendance	92,003 (Women’s Volleyball - Aug. 30, 2023) 91,585 (Football - Sept. 20, 2014)
Surface	FieldTurf
Construction
Broke ground	April 26, 1923
Opened	October 13, 1923; 101 years ago (1923-10-13)
Renovated	2006
Expanded	1964, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1998, 2006, 2013
Construction cost	$430,000 (original structure) ($7.39 million in 2022 )
Architect	John Latenser Sr. and Sons Davis & Wilson
Project manager	Earl Hawkins
Structural engineer	Meyer & Jolly
General contractor	Parsons Construction Co.
Tenants
Nebraska Cornhuskers football (1923–present) NSAA State Football Championship (1996–present)

Memorial Stadium, also known as The Sea of Red, is a famous American football stadium. It is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. This stadium is mainly the home field for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.

The stadium was built in 1923. It cost about $450,000 and could hold 31,080 fans. It replaced Nebraska Field, where the Cornhuskers played from 1909 to 1922. The first game at Memorial Stadium was on October 13, 1923. Nebraska won 24–0 against Oklahoma. Over the years, the stadium has been made bigger many times. Its capacity grew to 85,458 seats. Nebraska has sold out an amazing 396 games in a row at Memorial Stadium. This record-breaking streak started way back in 1962.

Building Memorial Stadium

Two images of Memorial Stadium in 1923; (above): dedication; (below): fans flooding the west grandstand

In 1909, the University of Nebraska built Nebraska Field. This was their first stadium just for football. But it was made of wood and didn't have many seats. So, after less than ten years, people wanted a bigger, stronger stadium.

By the early 1920s, the university decided to build a new stadium. It would be on the same spot as Nebraska Field. The idea was to create a special place to honor soldiers. It was first planned as a gym, stadium, and war museum all in one. This project was called the "Nebraska Soldiers and Sailors Memorial." People were very excited to raise money for it. This was especially true after Dusty Rhodes, a former Nebraska football captain, died fighting in World War I in France.

Because the economy was slow after the war, the project became just a football stadium. However, the Nebraska Coliseum was built right next to Memorial Stadium a few years later. John Latenser Sr. and Ellery Davis were chosen as the main architects. They agreed to work for free! Once $450,000 was raised, construction began on April 23, 1923.

The stadium was built very quickly, in just over ninety days. It was ready for the first home game of the 1923 season. This was the 24–0 win against Oklahoma. Memorial Stadium was officially dedicated the next week. It honors Nebraskans who served in the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War. It also honors the 751 Nebraskans who died in World War I. Later, the dedication was expanded. It now honors those who died in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Each corner of the stadium has a special message. These words came from a philosophy professor named Hartley Burr Alexander:

• Southeast: "In Commemoration of the men of Nebraska who served and fell in the Nation's Wars."
• Southwest: "Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."
• Northwest: "Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport."
• Northeast: "Their Lives they held their country's trust; They kept its faith; They died its heroes."

When it first opened, the stadium had open areas at the ends of the field. There were grandstands on the east and west sides. It could seat up to 31,080 fans. A track for the school's track and field team went around the playing field.

Stadium Growth and Changes

Memorial Stadium stayed mostly the same for over ten years. In the mid-1930s, the university started planning to add more football facilities. These would be at the north end of the stadium. Construction began in 1941 but stopped quickly because the United States entered World War II.

Work started again after the war. The Schulte Fieldhouse was finished in 1946. It gave the football team locker rooms, practice areas, and showers. This building was named after Henry Schulte, a former football and track coach who passed away in 1944. The team used this building until 2006. That's when the Osborne Athletic Complex was built in its place.

1973 aerial image of Memorial Stadium

The stadium's first expansion happened in 1964. Permanent seats were added to the south end zone. This made the stadium a 48,000-seat horseshoe shape. The north end zone was enclosed in two steps from 1965 to 1966. This brought the stadium's capacity to 64,170. A press box was added in 1967. The south end zone was made even bigger in 1972, reaching 73,650 seats.

In the early 1980s, temporary lights were sometimes used. This allowed Memorial Stadium to host late afternoon games on national television. The first official night game was on September 6, 1986. Nebraska beat Florida State 34–17. Permanent lights were installed in 1999. These were replaced with modern LED lights in 2018.

In the mid-1990s, a big $36-million expansion of the West Stadium began. This added luxury boxes, a larger press box, and a stadium lounge. It also gave the stadium a new look facing Stadium Drive. This expansion increased the stadium's capacity to 74,056. On April 24, 1998, it was renamed "Tom Osborne Field at Memorial Stadium." This was months after Tom Osborne retired as coach.

During this construction, former quarterback Brook Berringer died in a plane crash on April 18, 1996. He was a beloved player who helped Nebraska win the 1994 national championship. A statue of Osborne and Berringer was placed at the entrance of the Osborne Athletic Complex.

The Osborne Athletic Complex, as seen in 2010

In 2004, work started to renovate and expand the north end zone. This added 6,000 more seats and thirteen luxury boxes called "Skyline Suites." This brought the stadium's capacity to 81,067. At that time, the scoreboard was the largest in any college football stadium. Before the 2009 season, two new high-definition video screens were added. Also, long ribbon boards were installed along the east and west balconies.

On October 15, 2010, the university announced plans for an East Stadium expansion. This project cost up to $65 million. It increased the stadium's capacity to 87,147. This included new general admission seats, club seats, and luxury suites. The original front of the East Stadium was kept within a new entrance lobby. The expansion also created the first standing room-only area. This area could be used for events during games. The university also built two research facilities inside the new East Stadium. One was for athletics, and one for general campus research. This project was finished on August 22, 2013. A statue of former head coach Bob Devaney was unveiled at the entrance of the newly renovated East Stadium.

Eastern façade of Memorial Stadium prior to 2013 expansion

Before the 2014 season, Nebraska spent $12.3 million to update the stadium's sound system. They also added a wireless network to provide Wi-Fi for fans. A brick pattern was added to the base of West Stadium to match the rest of the stadium. In 2017, new video boards were installed. Two of these wrapped around the existing structure. This allowed fans in North Stadium to see the screen clearly. An upper ribbon display was added to the second level of East Stadium.

In 2015, the university replaced seats in the North Stadium. They made the seats wider, from eighteen to twenty-two inches. Some seats were removed in the southwest corner to create a new aisle. This helped with crowd movement. About 1,100 seats were removed. Two years later, more seats were widened. This reduced the official stadium capacity to 85,458.

In September 2023, plans were announced to rebuild the South Stadium. This project would extend the main concourse all the way around the stadium. It would also connect the East and West Stadiums to the South Stadium. Other upgrades are planned for restrooms, food stands, and moving around the stadium. The stadium's total capacity would be reduced by 8,000 to 10,000 seats. This is because bench seating would be replaced with chair-back seats.

Construction was planned to start in February 2024. It was expected to finish in mid-2026. The South Stadium would be taken down in early 2025. This would temporarily reduce the stadium's capacity by 22,000 seats during the 2025 season. The total cost was estimated at $450 to $500 million. However, in May 2024, the plans were reexamined. The revised plan will now focus on the East and West Stadiums first. Work will begin after the 2025 season at the earliest. The South Stadium project is still part of the overall plan, but its timeline is not yet set.

Seating Capacity Changes

• 1923: 31,080
• 1964: 48,000 – South end zone seats added.
• 1965: 52,455 – Center of north end zone seats added.
• 1966: 62,644 – Rest of north stadium seats finished.
• 1967: 64,170 – New press box installed.
• 1972: 73,650 – South end zone seats extended.
• 1994: 72,700 – Seats for people with disabilities added.
• 1999: 74,056 – New West Stadium press box, skyboxes, and club seating finished.
• 2000: 73,918 – More club seating installed.
• 2006: 81,067 – North Stadium seats extended, new skyboxes and handicap seating added.
• 2013: 87,147 – East Stadium expansion finished with new skyboxes, club seating, and general seats.
• 2015: 86,047 – North end zone seats widened, some seats removed for a new aisle.
• 2017: 85,458 – Seats widened throughout the stadium.

Playing Field Surface

Western façade of Memorial Stadium

From 1923 to 1969, Nebraska played on natural grass. In 1970, the stadium got AstroTurf. This was an artificial turf glued to a foam layer on an asphalt base. The Huskers won national championships in 1970 and 1971 with this new surface.

Several types of AstroTurf were used until 1999. Then, Memorial Stadium became the first major college stadium to install FieldTurf. A second FieldTurf was installed in 2005. This one had alternating light and dark green patterns every five yards. A third FieldTurf was put in place in 2013. It was designed to be "lighter and cooler" by adding cork to the top layer.

• 1923–69: Natural grass
• 1970–83: AstroTurf
• 1984–91: All-Pro Turf
• 1992–98: AstroTurf-9
• 1999–present: FieldTurf

Attendance Records

A Nebraska National Guard flyover of Memorial Stadium prior to a volleyball match that set a women's sporting event attendance world record

Nebraska has sold out 396 games in a row at Memorial Stadium. This is the longest streak in any college sport! The streak began on November 3, 1962. During this sellout streak, Nebraska's home record is 315 wins and 67 losses. They even had a 47-game home winning streak from 1991 to 1998. This is the second-longest in modern college football history.

On August 30, 2023, the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's volleyball team set a world record. They had the largest attendance for a women's sporting event ever! A total of 92,003 people came to Memorial Stadium for "Volleyball Day in Nebraska."

Longest Home Winning Streaks

High School Championships

Since 1996, Memorial Stadium has hosted the state high school football championship finals. These are organized by the Nebraska School Activities Association. This includes games for smaller schools that play eight-man football. Before moving to Memorial Stadium, these final games were played at the high schools' home fields.

See also

In Spanish: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln) para niños